Photo by: Justin Edmonds
“The first time I came to First Friday, I didn’t know what to expect, and I stepped out on the street and saw this man driving a saddled alligator. I will never forget that.”
Charity Stebbins, 20, a sophomore English major at the University of Denver, is recounting her initial visit to the Santa Fe Art District during a First Friday Art Walk, where she witnessed the popular (but anonymous) street performer amidst crowds venturing in and out of art galleries.
During these art walks, galleries in many of Denver’s art districts stay open late, showcasing a myriad of local artists and offering wine, snacks, and music to entertain patrons – all for free. As the name implies, these art walks (or “First Fridays”, as many call them) occur on the first Friday of every month between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
First Fridays are national events, designed to promote and coordinate gallery openings so artists get more exposure. In Denver, they take place in several areas where there are high concentrations of galleries and museums, such as the River North (RiNo) Art District downtown and the Golden Triangle (which includes the Denver Art Museum).
However, the current hot spot for First Fridays would have to be the Santa Fe Art District, on Santa Fe between 5th and 10th Avenue. There are over 30 galleries on this stretch, all within walking distance, offering a wide variety of contemporary and experimental collections in a range of different media.
This month, for example, the Sandy Carson Gallery featured a narrative series done in acrylic by Santiago Perez that told the story of Big Head and the Fools (in a sort of Dali-meets-Bosch-meets-Far Side comics vein), set along side fanciful clay sculptures depicting women and animals by Caroline Douglas. The Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) exhibited paintings by Derek Cadena, done in different styles but all sharing a theme of rabbits and skulls. Other galleries showcased abstracts, light installations, and politically-charged collages.
The collections, for the most part, are changed each month, and the artists themselves are often available to answer questions and speak about their work.
But it’s more than the art that draws people to this location. First Fridays on Santa Fe also attract a large and eclectic crowd of 20- and 30-somethings, composed primarily of students and other artists. If people-watching is your preference, amidst the collectors and young professionals you are inclined to see an exotic selection of others sporting cat ears, glow-in-the-dark fur coats, neon fishnets with matching hair, fuzzy floral pants (on men), or even full costumes.
“I come to watch the people talking about the art,” says Kate Russell, 26. “You get to hear all sorts of people say crazy things, you get to meet fun people. There’s wine.”
She adds that First Fridays are a good way to bump into old friends, or make new ones, especially if you’re new to the area.
In fact, many participants in the art walks look forward to the social atmosphere just as much as the opportunity to view art. The mix of individuals and the gallery environments create a friendly and cohesive climate.
“Everyone comes down here and expresses themselves and has a good time,” says Caley Shoemaker, 19, a freshman studio arts major at DU who is interning at Translation gallery. “A lot of times in society, people are being mean to each other. But at First Friday people are being creative and inspiring one another.”
It is also on Santa Fe that Stebbins, along with many other gallery-goers, saw the mechanical fire-spitting alligator and its infamous driver snaking down the street for the first time. This spectacle is one of many performances that entertain participants between gallery visits. Although on colder nights (such as this recent Friday in April) the street performers are not likely to be outside, warm weather is apt to attract fire-eaters, stilt-walkers, jugglers, and dancers to the sidewalks.
“The first hour you spend pretty much absorbed in the art, then you start people-watching…You go and look at the extreme of people and the extreme of their passion,” says Stebbins.
All of these factors – good company, entertainment, provocative art, and complimentary snacks – make First Fridays an ideal outing for college students.
A.J. Escobedo, 20, a junior at the University of Colorado Denver and an intern at the Sandra Phillips Gallery, says, “I like exploring different types of art, and it’s a social event that’s free and sort of more adult than some of the other activities that are around for 20-somethings.” He recommends the event to others, but notes that “this has to be your boat”; people not looking for culture, conversation, and new experiences need not apply.
